Max Phillips Jr. wrote in after getting a nasty shock from his local travel agency.
"My wife (Japanese) and I are going to Hawaii in September. Since we are arranging to meet my (mid-60s) parents there, we thought it best to plan as far in advance as possible.
"I went to the local H.I.S. office to inquire about airline ticket prices. In May we agreed to buy a ticket for an (as of that time) unpublished airline and put a four-man deposit down on the tickets. I paid the remainder of the quoted ticket price on July 6. (I have the documentation showing that I paid the remaining balance, as recorded by H.I.S.)